


"Right"

by orphan_account



Category: The Black Tapes Podcast
Genre: Coralex, F/F, My First Work in This Fandom, coughing fit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-29 02:38:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7667077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She sunk into the cushions and let out a deep breath. The coffee was hot, the seat was soft and for once the room was blissfully quiet.</p>
<p>“Alex?” Or not, she turned around in her chair, ready to strike... but her annoyed comment died in her throat when her eyes locked with none other than Coralee Strand. Alex scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking over her coffee mug.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Right"

**Author's Note:**

> This was... interesting to write, since we know almost nothing about Coralee's personality, but in two weeks it will all be proven completely wrong anyways, so why worry about it, right? In the mean time, I hope this isn't too terrible.
> 
> Huge thanks to Heroictype for helping me with phrasing and flow.

Alex was exhausted. After a dozen or so introductions to people whose names she no longer remembered, and several long and confusing explanations that she retained little to no information from, she was relieved to finally be able to sit down with a cup of coffee and nobody bombarding her with information.

 

She sunk into the cushions and let out a deep breath. The coffee was hot, the seat was soft and for  _ once _ the room was blissfully quiet.

 

“Alex?”  _ Or not _ , she turned around in her chair, ready to strike... but her annoyed comment died in her throat when her eyes locked with none other than Coralee Strand. Alex scrambled to her feet, nearly knocking over her coffee mug.

 

Coralee covered her mouth and laughed as the murderous expression on Alex’s face dissolved into red-faced coughing at the sight of her. “Is this a bad time?” 

 

Alex held up a finger and continued coughing, trying to get ahold of herself. Coralee took a step forward, hands out in defense and eyebrows raised in amusement. “Do you need me to call an ambulance?” 

 

This only seemed to make things worse. Alex snorted with laughter in the middle of an inhale and choked, inducing another fit of coughing. She doubled over, grabbing the arm of the chair for support.

 

“Just... give me... that” She wheezed, gesturing to the cup of water in Coralee’s hand. She handed it over, concern wrinkling her brow.

 

“I was joking before, but are you  _ sure  _ you don’t need me to call an ambulance?” She watched as Alex downed the entire glass in one motion. Alex lowered the glass and shook her head.

 

“I’m fine.” She took a deep breath and self-consciously ran her hand through her hair. “I think I’m fine.  _ Jesus. _ ”

 

“Jesus is right. You almost went to see him just now.” Alex looked up.

 

_ Wow.  _ It had been difficult to see during her coughing fit--mostly due to the tears flooding her eyes--but  _ wow.  _ Coralee had the most amazing smile. When they had first met, Coralee’s face was a mask of stone, but now? Now the skin around her eyes crinkled into overlapping crescents, now the dimple on the right side of her face wrinkled the birthmark on her cheek, and now her eyes lit up so bright... Alex felt her face get hot and immediately dismissed it as a side effect of her coughing fit.

 

“Haha… Right.” Her mouth was dry. Why did everyone around her have to be so beautiful?

 

Coralee seemed to sense her discomfort. “It’s been a long day for you, hasn’t it?” When Alex didn’t answer, she spoke again. “Do you want to talk?” The warmth and concern of her voice told Alex that she could be trusted. She reminded Alex of earth. Rough and steadfast, sturdy, full of life. After only a few simple exchanges and this… unfortunately timed encounter, Alex already knew that she could trust Coralee. Or was that just the fluttering in her stomach talking?

 

“Right.” Alex snapped back into the present, “I mean yes. Yes it’s been a long day.”

 

“You know, Coffee isn’t the best thing for relaxing” Coralee glanced over Alex’s shoulder at the still steaming mug sitting precariously on the edge of the table. Alex looked at the floor and sheepishly scratched at the back of her neck,  _ just like Richard.  _ Coralee wondered if she had picked that habit up from him. 

 

“It keeps me on my feet.”

 

“And twitching.” Coralee grabbed Alex’s hand. “Look how badly you’re shaking.” Once again, Alex’s face grew hot. She strongly resisted the urge to pull away when Coralee ran her hand over her discolored knuckles. Surprisingly, the shaking in her hands stopped, or at least lessened. Alex could still feel the perpetual caffeine tremors working their way through her muscles, but where Coralee touched her hand, they stopped. “I know we just met and this isn’t my place to say, but you may want to cut back on your caffeine. It might help you sleep better too.” Alex released a nervous laugh that she didn’t realize she’d been holding in.

 

“I mean we may have just met, but you’re already holding my han-” Alex did a double take. “Wait, how do you know about my sleeping problems?” Coralee looked confused at her question, as if the answer was obvious.

 

“The same way I know about everything else.” Alex squinted at her, prompting Coralee to continue. “The podcast, Alex.” She half laughed. “You didn’t think I would just ignore that, did you? You were looking for me.”

 

“Oh. Right.” Alex said awkwardly.  “The podcast. That… that makes sense.” The tickling in her throat betrayed her and she coughed again. 

 

“I’d offer you a glass of water, but…” she gestured to the empty glass still in Alex’s hand.

 

“Right.” Alex could kick herself. _Right?_ She thought, _Right? Do you know any other words?_ _You are a reporter, dammit. Use your words, Alex!_  “Um… speaking of the podcast, I’ve been wondering: what exactly _were_ you doing in hiding all those years?” She cringed internally. _Great. INTERVIEW her. So much better, Alex. Such grace. So glad you spent all that money a communications degree so you could embarrass yourself in front of gorgeous women! Amazing._

 

“I’m afraid that’s not something I can tell.” Alex raised an eyebrow. “Yet.” Coralee quickly appended.

 

“Yet?” 

 

“And yet,” She made a grand gesture with a flick of her wrist--the wrist that  _ wasn’t  _ attached to the hand still holding Alex’s--“We are standing here holding hands and talking about work, when you are in desperate need of something  _ other  _ than coffee.  _ Right _ ?” Her light smile said to Alex:  _ see? I can do it too. _ “Come on.” Coralee adjusted her grip on Alex’s hand and tugged her towards the door. “Let’s go.”

 

“Where-” Alex began, before Coralee quickly cut her off.

 

“We’re getting you a drink.” 

  
Alex had never been so eager to abandon a cup of coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and critique are greatly appreciated.


End file.
